


There Is No More Status Quo

by FancifulFollies



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Love Doesn't Discriminate universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Break Up, College, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Get back together, Happy Ending, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 06:21:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6644830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FancifulFollies/pseuds/FancifulFollies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A JeffMads oneshot, per request</p>
            </blockquote>





	There Is No More Status Quo

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Love Doesn't Discriminate (It Takes and it Takes)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5667526) by [FancifulFollies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FancifulFollies/pseuds/FancifulFollies). 



> So this fic is based in the Love Doesn't Discriminate universe. It might be a little confusing if you've never read my other fic, but I suppose in can be read alone (since LDD is so damn long lol)
> 
> ANYWAY this is also my gift to @ IVotedForBurr over on tumblr, who is celebrating their birthday today! Happy Birthday! :) Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Basically it follows Madison and Jefferson once they get back from Princeton and to the end of the fic, minus the epilogue. I put the chapter titles that each section is from, in case you need to go back to LDD and look up what's happening.

**What'd I Miss/Cabinet Battle #1**

Returning to Princeton after being in France for a year is strange for Thomas. He had loved France, but he also feels like he missed so much from being abroad. Princeton feels different, like he's lost his grasp on it, and he wants to blame it all on Alexander Hamilton. The kid is an immense annoyance, and Thomas knew from the moment he shook his hand that first day that he was going to despise him.

The MSA meeting earlier that night had only proved his suspicions. Hamilton is arrogant and abrasive and trying to control everything, something that Thomas does not appreciate. If anyone's going to be in control, it's him. Washington's internship is on the line, and Thomas is prepared to pull out all the stops in order to win it, which might explain some of his aggressive behavior at the meeting. Sure, he may have stepped over a few lines while arguing with Hamilton, but it happens, and Hamilton deserved it. It was only James's firm stare that had stopped Thomas from going even further with his insults. 

Speaking of James, Thomas hears the door open and then close a little more forcefully than usual. He feels the hairs on his arms stand up when James's footsteps echo through the apartment. 

“Thomas?” James’s soft voice floats down the hallway, and Thomas can’t help but smirk to himself.

“In here, darling.”

James walks into the bedroom, and rolls his eyes when he sees Thomas spread out on the bed in his pajamas, his homework lying forgotten on the floor.

“I see you’re getting a head start on work.” James says dryly, shedding his jacket and draping it over the armchair in the corner. “I also see you're getting a head start on already picking fights with people when it's not needed.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Thomas responds innocently. “Me? Picking a fight? You know I only argue when I think it’s necessary.”

“You _always_ think it’s necessary.”

“Yes, well,” Thomas shrugs, “it really was this time. Honestly, you heard Hamilton at that MSA meeting, he was horrendous. So full of himself and totally unresponsive to anyone’s ideas but his own."

“Sounds familiar.”

“Oh, come on!” Thomas snorts and sits up on the bed, his long legs hanging over the edge. "He’s totally full of himself. And if he can't take advice then he doesn't deserve to be in a position of power. Everyone knows he messed up with that protest last year, I never would have let that happen.“You met him, you know what I mean, he's ridiculous.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” James says, his eyebrows raised. “We both just met him earlier this week, I think it’s a little unfair to pass judgement so soon. Remember the first time we met? You were incredibly arrogant, still are, for that matter. I despised you.”

“Well, you very quickly realized your brief lapse in judgement, and now you adore me.”

“Hmm.” James walks over to the bed and stands between Thomas’s legs. He taps his nose gently, and then lets his hand trail down the side of his jaw, cupping his face. “If I remember correctly, my ‘brief lapse in judgement’ lasted almost four months before you managed to change my mind. So maybe we should give Hamilton a little more time to prove himself.”

“Maybe.” Thomas agrees, more out of a desire to appease James than out of a desire to give Hamilton another chance. He couldn’t care less about Hamilton. “Can we change the subject to something more pleasant? Like your growing adoration of me?”

James laughs, a low rumble in the back of his throat that makes Thomas smile. Everything about James is so soft, so quiet and contained. He’s everything that Thomas isn’t.

“Like I said,” James begins, his fingers tapping Thomas’s jaw lightly, “it took me a long time to get to that adoration. The first day we met, you ran into me, knocked all of the books out of my hands, some of them falling into a puddle, and then got angry with me for accidentally getting ink on your shirt.”

“To be fair, it was my favorite shirt.”

“Then," James continues, ignoring Thomas's last comment, "you proceeded to ask me out whenever you saw me, never apologizing to me for ruining my books.”

“Can you really blame me?” Thomas asks, batting his eyelashes. “I was completely smitten with you, blind to the usual social customs. You were too attractive, I couldn’t help acting like an idiot.”

“You’re still an idiot.” James whispers, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. His other hand comes up to rest on the other side of Thomas’s face, and when Thomas hums happily, he feels James’s lips curve into a smile against his own before deepening the kiss. Thomas knows he’s an idiot.

But he’s James’s idiot.

**The Room Where It Happens/Schuyler Defeated**

“Why do you always have to take things too far?” James demands in annoyance as they get back to their apartment. He was angry the whole car ride home after they had talked with Burr. He wouldn’t even look at Thomas.

“How was that taking it too far?” Thomas spits back, dropping his jacket onto the floor. “All I did was ask Burr why Hamilton didn’t confide in him, that’s it!”

“Come on, Thomas, we both know you said that to get a rise out of Aaron, which he thankfully was too mature to give into. You knew it would hurt Aaron, him and Hamilton are friends.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him.” It’s true. Thomas really had just wanted to annoy Burr. Hell, he even likes Burr, which makes the man's relationship with Hamilton that much more confusing to Thomas. The two of them are so different. Who would want to be friends with Hamilton?

“Well despite what you meant, you did.” James turns towards him and crosses his arms. “You need to learn to control your temper, especially if you want to get further in the MSA.”

“Ok, ok! I get it. You want me to apologize to Burr? Fine ,I will. Just calm down.”

“I’d like it if you apologized to me first.”

Thomas huffs out a breath of air in frustration and looks up at the ceiling. He thinks for a few moments, and then shakes his head before making eye contact again with James.

“You know I never mean to make you upset, James. So fine, I’m sorry. Are you happy now?”

“I suppose.” James uncrosses his arms. “You never were good with apologies, so I’ll take what I can get. Just…Aaron is someone we might need later on, so it’s a good idea to stay on his good side.”

“Ah, I see.” Thomas steps over to James and presses a kiss to his cheek, smirking. “This is all about your evil plan to get us elected into the MSA? You don’t care about anyone’s feelings.”

James’s mouth is set in a thin line, but his eyes are lit up, a sure sign that his mind is whirling with ideas. Thomas smirks again and nuzzles into James’s neck. His boyfriend can be very calculating when he wants to be. He loves that about him. 

“It’s not an evil plan, Thomas.” James says slowly. “It’s just a plan. You need to step it up if you want that internship, and Hamilton is a road block. He’ll never let you run against him to be president of the MSA, and for some reason people like him, so he’d beat you.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“It’s true.”

“Mmm.” Thomas brings his head up and wraps his arms around James’s neck, letting his forehead rest against his. “So then, what’s the plan for tonight when we meet with Hamilton? I know you've got one.”

“Simple.” James looks him in the eye and smiles. “We make a compromise.”

**Washington on Your Side/One Last Time**

“Why do you think Burr is so against finding some dirt on Hamilton?” Thomas asks as Burr gets up to leave the table after their discussion. “He seems to want more power in the MSA, and was even willing to go up against Hamilton’s girlfriend. But why is he so hesitant now?”

“I don’t know.” James murmurs, leaning back slightly. “I mean, they are friends, or at least are friendly. It’s a strange relationship. But they trust each other.”

“Wait…” Thomas leans forward, a new thought coming into his mind. “Do you think…do you think Hamilton trusts Burr enough to tell him if something _is_ going on with him and the Reynolds concerning his new club?”

James looks at him, and Thomas knows they’re both thinking the same things. James starts to nod slowly, a smile spreading across his face.

“I suppose we can go and find out.”

-

They follow Burr pretty easily, and Thomas silently congratulates himself when they figure out that he’s going over to Hamilton’s room. Him and James keep their distance as they follow him, hiding behind the corner of the wall as Burr knocks on Hamilton’s door.

“Well I’m busy, so you’ll have to come by another time.” That’s Hamilton's voice. He certainly sounds upset. Maybe he won’t tell Burr anything, maybe this was a waste of time.

“Madison and Jefferson are plotting something." That's Burr, his voice sounding frantic. "They think you did something wrong to get the MSA started, something involving Maria Reynolds.”

James looks over at Thomas, his eyebrows raised. Thomas smiles in return, unable to believe their luck. Burr and Hamilton are going to give them all the answers without even realizing it. This is too good.

“They…they what?”

“Did you? Hamilton, what did you do?”

There’s a beat of silence after Burr’s question, and Thomas squints his eyes in concentration as he waits for Hamilton’s response. Instead he hears footsteps and the unmistakable sound of a door clicking shut. Thomas carefully peers around the corner, and once he sees that the two had slipped into Hamilton’s room, he gestures to James to follow him over to the door. Once they reach it, Thomas is pleased to know that they can still make out Burr and Hamilton’s voices.

“Madison and Jefferson are barking up the wrong tree. They won’t find anything.”

“They won’t find anything because there’s nothing to find, or….?”

“Don’t worry about it Burr, nothing will come out that will make you look bad.”

The two of them continue to bicker back and forth, but James grabs Thomas by the elbow and walks him a few steps away from the door.

“There’s definitely something he’s hiding.” He murmurs lowly. “Hamilton definitely sounded nervous when Aaron first mentioned that we knew something.”

“And there’s the fact that Hamilton said nothing would come out that would make _Burr_ look bad, not himself. There’s got to be something in that.” Thomas bites his lip and shakes his head. “If only Hamilton’s big mouth would help us out, I was certain he was gonna blab everything to Burr.”

“Well, they aren’t done talking yet.” James leads them back over to the door, where it sounds like Burr and Hamilton have suddenly turned to a more pleasant topic.

“I found out that Jefferson has a macaroni fetish. So, if you need something on him, there’s that.”

Thomas scoffs loudly at the words, and James’ hand immediately goes to his face, covering his mouth. When Thomas looks over at him, the smile on James’s face makes him roll his eyes. James tries to hold back his laugh, but it escapes him briefly, and Thomas nudges him in the ribs. They both regain their control and start to listen again.

“It’s all he eats. Like, all the time. He lives on mac and cheese.”

“Wow.” Hamilton and Burr start to laugh, and Thomas bites at James’s hand when he also laughs quietly.

“Ouch, Thomas! What the hell?” James withdraws his hand and drags them away from the door once again. “You bit me.”

“Well you shouldn’t have laughed. I do not have a macaroni fetish. I just happen to like it a lot. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing.” James responds, still looking like he’s holding back a laugh, and Thomas sticks out his lower lip in a pout.

“It’s not weird.” He mumbles to himself as they approach the door once again.

"In any case Jefferson shouldn’t pursue what’s not his.” That's Hamilton again, and his voice is a few pitches lower than before. Thomas shoots James a quizzical glance. What the hell are these two talking about now?

“And whose am I?”

“You’re mine.”

Thomas’s jaw drops open as the unmistakable sound of two people kissing heatedly reaches them. When he looks back at James, surprise is written clearly on his face as well. It quickly changes to anger after a few more moments. His expression changes a few more times, and Thomas wonders what he's thinking.

“They’re sleeping together.” James breathes out as they continue to listen. “This is…this is…”

“Incredibly strange?” Thomas supplies. “Kind of gross? Yeah, definitely.”

“No, this is great.”

“Uhm come again?”

James grabs Thomas by the arm again and leads him away from the door and down the hall. He doesn’t speak again until they are back outside.

“Don’t you know what this means?”

“Uh.” Thomas shrugs as they walk. “That Burr has really bad taste?”

“Thomas, think! Aaron is sleeping with Alexander, but they both have girlfriends.”

“Ok, so they’re both assholes. Is that really groundbreaking news, though?”

“No.” James stops walking and turns towards him, his expression back to looking angry. “But what if Aaron is only sleeping with Hamilton to have a better chance at the internship? To give him an advantage over you?”

Oh. That’s why James looked so angry, Thomas hadn’t even thought of that. But now that James mentions it…it makes sense. It’s a little lower than the thought Burr would stoop, but it definitely is a possibility.

“I mean, really think about it.” James continues. “Hamilton has a huge influence on Washington, and Washington would value his opinion on the topic greatly. It all makes sense...”

“Ok...so what do we do now?” Thomas asks slowly. When James smiles mischievously at him, he can’t help but smile back, already knowing what James is going to say.

“We tell Aaron what we know.”

**We Know/Hurricane**

James is strangely quiet after they finish talking to Aaron. Thomas thought it had gone well enough, Burr had definitely seemed nervous enough to go and get information on Hamilton, so Thomas doesn’t understand why James looks so upset.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Thomas asks him for probably the third time since they got back to their apartment.

“I…” James shifts on the chair he’s sitting on, his homework lying forgotten on his lap. “Do you think we did the right thing? Blackmailing Aaron?”

“Yeah.” Thomas shrugs and looks at James in confusion. “I mean, if he’s screwing Hamilton for a better shot at the internship then it’s only fair, what we did, right? Fight fire with fire.”

“But that’s just it, what if he isn’t sleeping with Hamilton for that reason. What if…”

“What?” Thomas laughs. “You don’t actually think they like each other, do you? There’s no way.”

“I don’t know. It was just...his face when we were talking to him about it, about Hamilton...” James tilts his head as he looks over at him. “I don't know. Stranger things have happened.”

“If you’re trying to compare our relationship to theirs, I’m going to need you to stop right there. We are a much more sensible couple than Burr and Hamilton. And much more attractive.”

“Well, I won’t argue with that.”

Thomas gets up from where he’s seated when James continues to look upset, worrying his lip between his teeth. He lets out a huff of breath when Thomas moves his work to the floor and climbs onto his lap, resting his forehead against his.

“You, James Madison, are a good person.” He pokes him in the chest for emphasis. “So stop worrying. We're just doing what it takes to get ahead, we didn’t do anything wrong.”

“That coming from a person with almost no moral compass isn’t exactly comforting.”

“Don’t be like that. Don’t you want me to have a fair chance at the internship?”

“You know I do.” James’s arms come up to encircle his waist. He leans his head back so he can look up Thomas. “I know how much you want it, I’d do anything to help you get it. Except murder, that would make me feel too guilty.”

“I appreciate that.” Thomas leans down and kisses James. He’ll never grow tired of feeling his lips beneath his. “So then,” he leans back a little and smiles, “we didn’t commit murder, so stop feeling so guilty.”

James laughs and then brings a hand to the back of Thomas’s neck, pulling him back down for a kiss. Thomas groans softly when his other hand hikes up the hem of his shirt and slides over his back. He can’t help the twitch his hips give, and he digs his hands into James’s shirt, his breath hitching when James bites down on his lower lip.

“You drive me crazy.” James whispers, his voice low. He tugs at Thomas’s shirt, lifting it over his head. He runs his hands down Thomas’s chest, making him shiver. “How’d I get so lucky?”

“I guess me knocking those books out of your hands all those years ago was a good think, huh?”

“Definitely one of the top moments of my life.” James murmurs in agreement, leaning up slightly to capture Thomas’s mouth again. They kiss heatedly for a few moments. Thomas pulls back briefly, breathing heavily and then moving forward again, kissing James sloppily on the mouth before trailing kisses down his jaw. His hands are on James’s pant zipper when his phone begins to buzz repeatedly in his back pocket. Thomas swears in annoyance and goes to turn it off, but the messages on the screen make him freeze.

“Thomas?” James’s voice is full of concern. “What is it?”

“Burr.” Thomas breathes out in response, scrolling through the texts. “He did it. He went through Hamilton’s phone and screenshotted texts.” He hands it to James, who scrolls through them, his brow furrowed as he reads.

“This is…wow.”

“Yeah.” Thomas smiles and kisses James again, a feeling of triumph coursing through his veins. “We got him.” 

**The Reynold’s Pamphlets/Burn**

Thomas lets James lead him out of the dining hall, his hand a warm but firm guide on his shoulder. When he feels the hand tighten slightly, Thomas swallows, knowing that he’s done something to upset James.

“Did we go too far?” James asks as soon as they're outside, the question catching Thomas off guard. He shoves his hands in his pockets and looks up at Thomas, searching his face.

"James, how many times do I have to tell you, _we_ didn't do anything. Hamilton is the one who did something, a lot of somethings for that matter. I told him when we confronted him that I wouldn't tell anyone about him and Burr. He's the one who decided to tell the whole campus."

"I know." James says, biting his lip. "But...I just didn't think things would turn out like this. I like Burr and he just looked so...I don't know...devastated."

"Again, that was all Hamilton's fault. James, what's done is done." Thomas shrugs his shoulders and takes a deep breath. He doesn't feel bad at all, and maybe that's wrong of him, but he finds that he doesn't care. "Listen, Hamilton is the one who got himself into this mess, and it's up to him to himself out of it. He should have thought about the consequences before dropping his pants for anyone who approaches him."

"I guess. But still, you didn't have to be so mean to him about it."

"Oh come on." Thomas rolls his eyes. "I was just being honest. It's clear Hamilton doesn't care about him, why else would he sleep with Maria as well? He doesn't give a shit about-"

"That's enough." James's voice is sharp, and Thomas closes his mouth immediately. "We don't know all the details. I mean, ok, we know a lot of them, too many of them in my opinion, but still. You didn't have to say all of those things."

Thomas grinds his teeth together in attempt to keep himself from responding with something cruel. He can see that James is upset, but Thomas doesn't understand why. They did nothing wrong. Still not trusting himself to speak, Thomas walks forward and takes James's hand in his, giving it a gently squeeze.

"Ok, I get it. I went a little overboard, and I'm sorry. You know how I get all caught up in drama, I live for it." Thomas starts to swing their hands, giving James his best smile. "But can we at least be happy that the playing field for the internship is finally equal? Please?"

"You are so ridiculous." James huffs out, but he smiles back and shakes his head. "But fine. You're right, what's done is done. How do you want to celebrate?"

"Oh, James." Thomas leans forward and kisses him on the mouth. "I think you know how I want to celebrate."

**It’s Quiet Uptown**

Thomas is lounging lazily on their bed, a leg dangling off the side as he waits for James to get back from classes. It’s the first week back after winter break, but Thomas doesn’t have class on Thursdays. He thought he would enjoy a day off, but more than anything he just gets bored. When he hears the front door open and close, he sits up quickly.

“How was your day?” He says loudly, smiling when he hears James’s footsteps immediately head towards the bedroom. When James walks in, Thomas’s smile slips; he look devastated. “James? What is it? What happened?”

James drops his bag onto the floor and clears his throat a few times. When he stares at the floor, apparently lost in thought, Thomas’s concern grows. He stands up from the bed and walks over to James, a hand slowly reaching out to take one of his.

“It’s…” James clears his throat again, and then makes eye contact. “It’s Aaron. His girlfriend passed away over break. That’s why he hasn’t been in classes all week. He’s not…he’s not doing well.”

Thomas opens his mouth, but then closes it. He takes a step back from James and then turns away, trying to think. There's a strange feeling building in his stomach, and he wonders if it's guilt. Obviously none of this is his fault, but then again, he hasn’t exactly been kind to Aaron lately either.

“How did you…” now Thomas is the one clearing his throat, “how did you find out?”

“Peggy Schuyler. She knew about it when it happened, and then she asked me if Aaron had been to any of his classes. When I said no she kind of freaked out. Apparently he hasn’t been answering any of her calls. She had me try to call, but still no answer.”

“Hm.” Thomas’s mind is still whirling. He’s not one to feel remorse, but this might be the closest he’s ever gotten. No one deserves what Aaron must be experiencing. He knows Aaron’s back-story, all the people he’s already lost. He can’t imagine a life like that, a life where everyone keeps leaving. “I’m…should we…should we go see him, maybe? Or send him something? I just...never quote me saying this, but I feel bad. I can't imagine what he's going through and I just-"

James is suddenly right in front of him, his lips capturing his in a bruising kiss. Thomas lets out a noise of surprise, but immediately moves his arms to throw them around James’s neck, angling his head to deepen the kiss. When James’s tongue finds his, Thomas can’t help but let out a small whine, and tries to pull him even closer, wanting to feel him. James complies, grabbing at Thomas’s hips and pressing against him.

Thomas pulls James back towards their bed, suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to have James on top of him, surrounding him entirely. He wants to feel his body on top of his and feel his skin against his own. He wants to know James is here with him.

The back of his legs hit the bed and he falls back onto it, pulling James down with him, connecting their mouths again. He grabs at James’s back, pushing his shirt up so he can feel the skin there. Thomas lets his nails rake down his back, and James groans, arching his back so he can press their groins together.

“James.” Thomas gasps as James moves his mouth to suck at his neck. “James I need to tell you something.”

“Right now?”

Yes, yes, I…” He moans as James bites the skin underneath his jaw, his hip thrusting up of their own accord. “God. James, I-I love you.”

James tenses on top of him, and Thomas holds his breath. He thinks back to the time James had told him he loved him. He had just stared back at him, completely dumbfounded. Then James had stuttered out an apology, saying Thomas didn’t need to say it back till he was ready. James hadn’t said the words since.

That had been two years ago.

“James?” Thomas prompts softy. Maybe he doesn’t want to know his reaction, but he doesn’t like not knowing things. “Did you, uhm, did you hear me?”

“Yes.” James lifts his head up so he’s staring directly down at him. “Yes, I heard you.”

“And?”

“Thomas.” James smiles, and Thomas feels his heart flutter. “You know very well that I’ve loved you for over two years.”

“Oh.”

“Mhm.” James leans down and kisses him softly. “I love you.” He whispers before kissing him again and again. “I love you so damn much.”

Thomas sighs happily as James returns to kissing his neck. They both reach for each other’s shirts at the same time, causing them both to laugh quietly. Once their shirtless, James moves his attention to Thomas’s chest, hands brushing over his nipples, making him shudder.

“I just want to make it clear,” Thomas gasps out as James’s hands move to the front of his pants, “that I said I love you before we actually started having sex, so it’s not one of those, ‘I-only-said-it-cause-of-the-sex’ I love you’s.”

“Duly noted.” James says with a short laugh as he gets Thomas’s pants undone. Together they manage to get them, along with his boxers, completely off his legs. James backs away so he can shed his own clothing, and once he’s naked, he comes back to rest between Thomas’s legs, his eyes fluttering as their erections drag against each other. “But just so you know, I’m not against you saying it again while we’re actually having sex.”

“Duly noted.” Thomas says with a smirk. The smirk drops from his lips, however, as James slowly starts to slide down his body, peppering his skin with open mouthed kisses. When he kisses his hipbones, pointedly ignoring Thomas’s twitching cock, Thomas exhales in frustration.

“Something wrong?” James asks, a teasing light in his eyes.

“You know I love you, but I would also love your mouth on my-“ Thomas breathes in sharply as James swallows him down in one fluid movement. “Oh, fuck.” Thomas wills his hips to stay on the mattress no matter how much he wants to buck up into the heat of James’s mouth. He’s almost too good at this, always making Thomas come embarrassingly fast.

James pulls off of him relatively soon, however, making Thomas whine at the loss. He whines again when he looks down at James, who is breathing fast, his chest heaving and his eyes dark. He smiles though, when Thomas leans over to the side table and rummages inside, throwing a condom and lube in his direction moments later.

Thomas watches as James coats his fingers, and lets his head drop back when he feels the first finger pressing against him. James pushes in slowly, and Thomas clenches the bed sheets as he tries to relax around the pressure.

“You always take it so well.” James whispers, his voice hoarse with want as he starts to move his finger. “Open so easily for me.”

“I can take more.” Thomas pants, and when he just barely presses a second finger in, Thomas moans and pushes his body down onto James’s fingers. “Oh, _God_.”

There’s silence for awhile as James works his fingers in and out of Thomas, crooking them every now and then, making Thomas whimper as they brush against his prostate. When James presses a third finger in, Thomas arches slightly off the bed.

“I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready!” He babbles. “Please get your dick inside me.”

“You have such a way with words.” James murmurs with a smile, but he slowly removes his fingers and rolls the condom on before putting more lube on one of his hands, working it up and down his length. He moves back to hover over Thomas, pressing a kiss to the side of his jaw.

“I love you.” Thomas says, really starting to like the way the words sound.

“And I love you.” James says, moving to kiss his lips before pushing inside him slowly. He keeps his mouth over Thomas’s, not touching them in a kiss exacty, but they breathe in each other’s air as James starts to move his hips in a gentle motion.

Thomas wraps his legs around James’s waist and moves his hands to cup his face, his fingers stroking up and down his cheekbones. Thomas loves this, loves being underneath James so all he can see when he looks up is James’s face. He’s so beautiful.

They moan in unison as James speeds up, his hips slapping against Thomas’s. Thomas smiles when he hears the small noises that James is making in the back of his throat, the barely contained moans that threaten to escape him with each thrust. Thomas clenches around him, feeling smug when James moans loudly.

“Fuck, Thomas.” James pants, his mouth hanging open. “God, you…you feel so…”

“Come on James, tell me how good my ass feels.”

James laughs, but then a hand is moving between them, grasping Thomas’s cock. He begins to move his hand, stroking Thomas hard and fast, making his stomach muscles clench.

“You feel so damn good, baby.” James growls in his ear, and Thomas closes his eyes, feeling his orgasm building. James shifts slightly, and somehow he’s even deeper in Thomas now, pounding into him and driving him crazy.

“Shit.” Thomas breathes out. He’s so close. “James, I’m gonna come.”

James doesn’t respond, just keeps moving, his hand speeding up slightly. Thomas chokes on a moan, and then he’s coming, his release landing on his stomach. James thrusts into him again and again, and then he stills and shudders, a breathy moan that might just be the most beautiful sound Thomas has ever heard escaping his lips.

A few moments later, he rolls off of Thomas slowly, lying on his back beside him, breathing heavily. They stay like that, just breathing next to each other, hands barely brushing.

“That was nice.” Thomas says after a moment, making James laugh again. He watches as his boyfriend stands up and walks into the bathroom, returning with a wet washcloth that he throws in Thomas's direction.

Once they're both cleaned up, James climbs back into the bed and pulls the covers around them before opening his arms for Thomas. Thomas curls around James immediately, pressing small kisses underneath his jaw. James hums and wraps his arms around him, stroking his back softly. Thomas loves this, cuddling with James, feeling his entire body around his. It feels so warm, so safe. He can’t imagine not having it, not having James always at his side.

“Hey, James.” Thomas whispers, feeling something strange rise in him as his thoughts go back to Burr, and what he must be dealing with.

“Hm?”

“I…” Thomas swallows a few times. “I’m glad you’re here.”

James’s hands stop their up and down motion on his back, causing Thomas to glance up at him. When they make eye contact, he knows that James can tell what is going through his mind at the moment.

“Good. Cause I’m never leaving.” 

**The Election of 1800**

“I told you not to tell him.” James snaps at him as soon as the last person leaves the classroom. He’s immediately up in Thomas’s space, but not in a good way. His face is tense, his eyes dark with anger. “Why the hell did you tell him about Hamilton?”

“Because I wanted to.” Thomas responds coldly, crossing his arms defensively. Why does James have to ruin this moment for him? “I don’t get why it had to be a big secret. Hamilton did endorse me, why shouldn’t Burr know that?”

“You know why, Thomas, so don’t act like an idiot.”

“I’m _not_ acting like an idiot. Burr would have found out anyway, I did him a favor by-“

“Oh please.” James scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Don’t try and make this into you doing anyone a favor. You won the internship, Thomas, isn’t that enough? Why do you always have to take things so far?”

“Stop acting like you’ve never made any mistakes!” Thomas spits out, getting frustrated. “Everything I’ve done, you’ve been there at my side the whole time. I’m sick of you acting like I’m the ‘bad’ one of the two of us. You always-”

“Be quiet, Thomas.” James’s voice is harsh, and Thomas closes his mouth, annoyed that he’s still obeying James even as they’re fighting. “I never said I haven’t made mistakes, I know I have. But at least I learn from them, at least I feel bad and apologize. You don’t care about hurting anyone.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I’m going into politics then.” Thomas says quietly, in an attempt at humor. It doesn’t go over well.

“See, this is what I mean! Everything is a damn joke to you, can’t you take this seriously? Didn’t you see Aaron’s face when you told him? Did you think that was funny?”

“A little.” Thomas winces when the words leave his mouth. He always gets like this when him and James fight. He becomes a bigger asshole than usual, not wanting to admit that he did something wrong. He just pushes and pushes until…

“I can’t deal with you right now.” James says shortly, grabbing his bag from the floor and not looking at Thomas.

“James…” Thomas walks forward and tries to take his hand, but James jerks away from him. He looks at Thomas again; anger and disappointment clear on his face.

“No, don’t. I need some time to think about this.”

“Ok…” Thomas brings his hand back to his side, and shifts on his feet. The silence in the room is overwhelming. “So, we’ll talk tonight?”

“Thomas.” James sighs loudly and shakes his head. “You’re not listening to me. I need time to think about us.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think we need some time apart.” James’s words seem to suck the air from the room, and Thomas sways on his feet. “I’m not coming back to the apartment. I just…I need some space, ok?”

“No.” Thomas responds stubbornly. He hasn’t been without James for over three years, and he doesn’t want to start now, or ever. “James, come on. Don’t do this. I’m sorry, ok? I’m sorry.”

“You’re only saying that for selfish reasons now, Thomas. So save it, cause I don’t want to hear it.” James turns away from him and walks to the door, leaving Thomas behind him.

“You said you would never leave!” Thomas says loudly at the last moment, feeling his voice crack slightly. “You love me!” He holds his breath as James tenses, and then turns back to look at him, his eyes piercing.

“Well, I guess that was another lapse in my judgement.” James’s words are cold, and Thomas flinches back, feeling completely empty as he watches James leave the room, his world crashing down around him.

**Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story**

The weeks that follow are hell to Thomas. He should be happy. He got the internship, got amazing grades, and graduation is right around the corner. His life is about to start down a great, new path. He should be happy. But he’s not.

How can he be when he doesn’t have James?

Each day seems to crawl by, and Thomas can’t remember ever feeling this way; he feels so tired and so empty, and each day that passes only seems to make it worse. Then there’s the news about Hamilton, how he had gotten shot and how Aaron had tried to stop it from happening. That had happened the day James had broke up with him, the day he told Burr that Hamilton had endorsed him. The day he made the biggest mistake of his life.

Now Hamilton is in the hospital, and Princeton is debating whether or not to kick him out. There’s a hearing today, and all students are welcome to come and speak on Hamilton’s behalf. Somehow, he’s still not sure how, Thomas finds himself walking over to it. He wants to say it’s because he just loves the drama of it all, but he knows it’s because he feels guilty, because he needs to fix everything he's done.

He listens to Eliza Schuyler give a heartfelt and well-spoken speech about Hamilton. She sings his praises, and Thomas finds himself nodding in agreement at her words. He never thought Hamilton was stupid or undeserving of being here, he was just such a pain in the ass all the time.

Eliza finishes her speech, and the crowd is talking loudly as she re-enters it. Thomas tries to catch her eye, to show his support, but she keeps her head down as she joins her sisters, turning to look up at the group of administrators who are talking amongst themselves.

Thomas waits along with the rest of the crowd for the next person to step up and make a speech. He winces when he feels someone bump into his back, attempting to push past him. Thomas doesn’t move at first, but then he hears a loud sigh, and he turns, not expecting to see what he sees.

“Burr?” Thomas raises his eyebrows in surprise at the figure before him. He looks him up and, down, taking in his disheveled appearance. “My God. What are you wearing?”

He watches in silence as Burr looks down at himself, his face growing more and more embarrassed. When he turns to leave, Thomas shoots out a hand and grabs him by his shirtsleeve.

“Are you here to give a speech?” If he is, Thomas can’t let him leave. “You are! Well, this is a surprise.”

“Well why are you here?" Burr spits back at him. "Going to try and ruin Hamilton’s life more than you already have?”

“Come now, Burr.” Thomas ignores the way Burr’s words cause his stomach to twist uncomfortably. “You can’t believe I’m so bad as to think that I am happy about what happened? Hamilton is a pain in the ass, but he’s an intelligent pain in the ass with good ideas, as Eliza has already pointed out in her speech.”

When they reach the front of the crowd, Thomas turns to Burr with a smile. He can’t let him leave without giving his speech. If anyone can save Hamilton, it’s Burr. He has to do it.

“Now it’s your turn. So, go save your man, Burr.” Thomas gives him a shove, causing Aaron to stumble forward into the middle of the room. He smiles as Burr stands there in clear discomfort, his voice faltering a little as he begins to speak. 

“Thomas?”

Thomas turns, almost jumping out of his skin as he sees James beside him, a hesitant smile on his face. Thomas tries to smile back, but he’s so surprised to see James, so happy to see him, that his brain isn’t exactly working.

“Hi.” He says stupidly after a few moments, realizing he had been staring in silence.

“Hi. I, uhm, I saw what you did, with Burr just now, getting him to still give his speech.”

“Oh.” Thomas shrugs. “All I did was give him a push.” He doesn't anything more for a moment, both of them turning their attention back to watch Burr, whose voice is growing stronger and stronger as his speech continues.

“I think it was a little more than that.” James murmurs, looking up at him. “Thomas, listen. I…I may have acted a little rashly before. I’ve…I’ve missed you and, and I know you didn’t mean to…to do what you did and I just…I’m sorry, for what I said.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Thomas says firmly. “You were right, everything you said. I’m an asshole and I always take things too far. I’m sorry. And…and I’ve missed you too. A lot.”

“You’re not an asshole.” James responds softly, a hand reaching out to take his. “Or maybe you are. But so am I. We’re both assholes, so we should stick together, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Thomas smiles widely, not believing his luck, and is about to say more when Burr’s voice rings out loudly.

“He’s not selfish! I…I thought he was, when I first met him, even when we were friends I believed his biggest flaw was that he was selfish. But he’s not! His dedication to bring about change is not for himself, but for other people. Everything he does is to help people. He…” His voice falters, and Thomas sees him look out into the crowd, searching for something in it. When his eyes find Thomas, he sees them drop to where his hand is still held firmly in James’s grasp. He turns back to the administrators, a new light in his eyes. “He cares about people!”

Thomas squeezes James’s hand, and continues to smile when James looks up at him. He can’t resist, and leans down to press a soft kiss to James’s lips. He had missed him so much.

“Did I say how sorry I am?” He mumbles against James’s mouth, feeling him smile.

“You did. Did I say how sorry I am?”

“You did.” Thomas presses his lips against his again, trying to convey so much in that one, small kiss before turning his attention back to Burr, who is really picking up speed in his speech. Thomas doesn't want to miss a thing.

"Alexander Hamilton is one of the most impressive people I have ever met, and I think his time at Princeton only proves that. He created the MSA to help people, and he fought for it so desperately because he knew it would help people, and it has. Hamilton doesn't get enough credit for what he's done here in such a short amount of time. If you give him more time, I can guarantee that he will do more than any other student ever has. I...I hope you will come to realize that. Thank you."

When Aaron turns away, facing the crowd again, his eyes find Thomas’s, and Thomas smiles at him. He brings his hands together and starts clapping slowly.

“Hear, hear!” He yells, and then more and more people are clapping. The sound is almost deafening, only dying down once Washington stands up. James is suddenly tugging on his shirt, and Thomas turns and allows himself to be led out of the room and out into the fresh air.

"James, listen." Thomas stops walking, making James look back at him. "I've been doing a lot of thinking too, about us, and if you need space then I understand. I know I'm a handful and that I'm annoying. So if, I mean, I am going on the internship this summer. So if you want space, I can do it. I...we can take a break and-"

"Thomas, stop." James walks close to him and cups his face. "These past few weeks gave me enough space, too much space. I don't _want_ anymore space. I love you, Thomas. I love you so much and if you think I'm not following you to D.C. while you do your internship, then you are so stupid. I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again."

"Good." Thomas breathes out, embarrassed when he feels tears starting to prick his eyes. "Cause I'm a complete mess without you." He kisses James again, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to breathe calmly through his nose, but there are so many emotions flooding through him. He pulls back and smiles when he opens his eyes to see James staring at him intently.

"I'm going to marry you some day." James says with great determination, and Thomas's heart leaps in his chest. He leans forward and wraps his arms around James and rests his head on his shoulder.

"I can't wait."

**Author's Note:**

> Ya'll I made myself cry a little bit with this. It's so weird to write about Jefferson and Madison, and I wanted to give more background (but who has the time for all that) but I hope seeing things from their perspective made their actions a little more understandable? Maybe?
> 
> I'm always tempted to make Jefferson just a complete asshole, but decided to humanize him a little. Also in my mind Madison is always the evil mastermind behind everything they do. Sure he feels guilty, but he make all the plans.
> 
> Hope this was enjoyable to all!


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